Knee Board decisions

The Board has granted service connection for degenerative arthritis of the left knee, right knee, right ankle chronic lateral collateral ligament sprain, and lumbosacral strain.

The Board has remanded the Veteran's claims of service connection for diabetes mellitus type 2, left and right leg amputations above the knee as secondary to diabetes, and chronic back pain due to incomplete development of his service treatment records and personnel records.

The Board has remanded the Veteran's claims for hypertension, arthralgias of multiple joints including lumbar spine, feet, ankles, and knees, and TDIU due to inadequate examination and medical opinions. The Veteran is advised that he may be required to undergo further examinations if he does not cooperate with VA’s attempts.

The Board has decided that additional development is needed for the Veteran's claims of increased evaluation for bilateral plantar fasciitis, service connection for sleep apnea and low back disorder, and service connection for a left knee disorder. The case will be returned to the Board after further examination and medical opinions are obtained.

The Board denied the Veteran's claim for a disability rating in excess of 30 percent for his left knee scar, residual of shell fragment wound, from August 30, 2004, finding that the evidence did not support an increased rating due to moderately severe disability.

The Veteran was awarded a TDIU from February 1, 2008 to November 4, 2008; January 1, 2010 to October 31, 2012; and January 24, 2014 to April 8, 2014 due to his service-connected left and right knee disabilities.

The Board has granted service connection for bilateral tinnitus and secondary service connection for a right knee disability. The decision is based on the Veteran's in-service exposure to noise, which led to his current tinnitus, and the aggravation of his pre-existing left knee condition resulting in his right knee disability.

The Veteran's appeal for increased ratings is remanded to allow for further examination and evaluation of his lumbosacral strain, left lower extremity radiculopathy, left knee disabilities, and scarring. The goal is to determine the current severity of these conditions.

The Veteran's right knee disability is currently rated at 30 percent, and the Board finds that a higher rating is warranted. The case is being remanded for further development to ensure proper consideration of the Veteran's symptoms.

The Board dismissed the claims of service connection for back, neck, bilateral plantar fasciitis, right knee, and left knee disabilities due to an improper Substantive Appeal submitted by the Veteran's representative.

The Veteran's claim for a rating in excess of 10 percent for right knee instability prior to June 23, 2010, and in excess of 10 percent thereafter is denied. The Board found that the preponderance of evidence did not support a compensable rating for right knee instability prior to June 23, 2010, or a higher rating thereafter.

The Veteran's service-connected left knee degenerative joint disease and scar are being remanded for further evaluation due to the age of the last examination, reports of progressive worsening, and missing relevant medical evidence.

The Board has remanded the case for further development and readjudication, including obtaining missing VA examination reports. The Veteran is seeking service connection for a cervical spine disability affecting his neck (other than DDD), an initial rating in excess of 10 percent for his service-connected degenerative disc disease of the thoracolumbar spine, and service connection for a left knee disability.

The Board has decided that the Veteran's claim for service connection for a bilateral knee disability should be remanded due to incomplete medical records and need for further examination.

The Veteran's right knee condition is currently rated at 10 percent, and a higher rating is denied.,Service connection for an acquired psychiatric disorder (including PTSD with anxiety and depression) due to military sexual trauma is granted.

The Veteran's appeal is remanded for additional examinations and opinions on several service connection issues.

The Veteran's appeal is being remanded for a new VA examination to determine the current severity of his left knee disability, as the previous examination was inadequate and internally inconsistent.

The Board has remanded the claims of service connection for a left hip disorder, increased rating for residuals of arthroscopy of the left knee, and TDIU prior to June 26, 2018 due to deficiencies in the record. The Veteran's representative filed a Joint Motion requesting that the Court vacate and remand the Board’s February 2019 decision regarding service connection for a left hip disorder. The claims are now remanded for further development including obtaining medical opinions on whether the Veteran's left hip disorder is caused or aggravated by his service-connected left knee disability, as well as addressing the Veteran's unemployability due to his service-connected disabilities.

The Veteran's right and left knee disabilities, along with her ankle disabilities, are rated at 30 percent each from August 3, 2017. The TDIU is granted.

The Board has reopened the Veteran's claims for PTSD, low back disorder, and left knee disorder due to new evidence received since the final decisions. The cases are remanded for further development.